Open—Shape
Open—Shape is a guitar chord and progression tool that finds playable voicings across the fretboard, including in different tunings.
What Open—Shape is
Open—Shape is a guitar chord and progression tool that finds playable voicings across the fretboard, including in different tunings. Its chord engine filters shapes by note count and shows difficulty and fingering details. The Free plan includes the full chord engine, all voicings, 33 built-in tunings, recorded acoustic-guitar playback, a microphone-based tuner, and up to three saved progressions. You can chain and reorder chords, play them back as progressions, and save your work. The tuner identifies strings in alternate and custom tunings, while capo settings update voicings and progressions. Pro adds unlimited custom tunings and saved progressions for $9.99, paid once, billed one-time. A visual Canvas workspace connects chords, tuning, and capo on a board and runs in a desktop browser. Open—Shape is available on iOS and the web, and does not require an account. Saved tunings and progressions are stored in browser local storage, with backup export and import in Settings. The privacy policy says tuner audio is analyzed in the browser and is not recorded or transmitted.
Good
- Chord search provides difficulty and fingering details.
- Includes 33 built-in tunings and acoustic-guitar playback.
- Tuner identifies strings in alternate and custom tunings.
- No account is required; backups can be exported and imported.
Watch out
- Free plan allows up to three saved progressions.
- Unlimited custom tunings require Pro at $9.99, paid once.
- Canvas runs in a desktop browser.
Who it suits
Open—Shape suits guitar players who want to explore chord voicings, work in alternate tunings, or build progressions. The free plan covers built-in tunings and up to three saved progressions; Pro is for unlimited custom tunings and saves.
Verdict
Open—Shape brings chord exploration, tuning, capo settings, and progression building together for guitar. Its free plan offers substantial core tools, while unlimited custom tunings and saved progressions require a one-time Pro purchase.
Plans and prices
From Open—Shape's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Full chord engine and every voicing · 33 built-in tunings · real acoustic playback · mic tuner · up to 3 saved progressions |
| Pro | $9.99, paid once | Everything in Free · unlimited custom tunings · unlimited saved progressions · one-time |
The facts
Each one read from Open—Shape's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Account and backups
- An account is not required; saved tunings and progressions live on the device, and the app provides backup export and import in Settings.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Audio
- Chord playback uses recordings of a real acoustic guitar rather than synthesized tones.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Canvas
- Canvas is a visual workspace for connecting chords, tuning, and capo on a board, and runs in a desktop browser.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Chord search
- The chord engine searches the fretboard, filters voicings by note count, and labels shapes with difficulty and fingering details.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Data collection
- The privacy policy says the service does not collect personal information or use cookies, analytics, or advertising scripts.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The privacy policy says custom tunings and progressions are stored in browser local storage, and tuner audio is analyzed in the browser and not recorded or transmitted.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Progressions
- Users can chain and reorder chords, play progressions back, and save them; the free plan allows up to three saved progressions.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- Support is by email, and the site says replies usually arrive within a day or two.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Tuner and capo
- The microphone-based tuner identifies strings in alternate and custom tunings, and capo settings update voicings and progressions.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Tunings
- It includes 33 built-in tunings, and Pro unlocks unlimited custom tunings.checked 8 Oct 2026
- What it does
- Open—Shape is a guitar chord and progression tool that finds playable chord voicings across the fretboard in different tunings.checked 8 Oct 2026
The company
- Maker
- The privacy policy lists Michael Gordon Hix as the contact for questions.checked 8 Oct 2026
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